Carer's allowance earnings 'cliff edge' to be replaced by a taper, announced before Budget
The government says Chancellor John Healey will use Wednesday's Budget to replace the carer's allowance earnings cliff edge with a taper. It is one of several "everyday fixes" announced on the eve of the Budget.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2The government announced on the eve of Wednesday's Budget that it will end the carer's allowance "cliff edge", which penalises unpaid carers who go over the weekly earnings limit, even by a few pence. Evening StandardN “The Government has promised to end a cliff edge in benefits faced by unpaid carers as part of a cost-of-living package announced on the eve of the Budget.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “The chancellor, John Healey, is to announce a new digital taper system for the so-called carer’s allowance in Wednesday’s budget” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Under the current rule, a carer who earns a penny over the weekly limit (currently £204) loses that whole week's payment (currently £86.45). The Guardian calculated that a carer a penny over the limit for a year would breach it by 52p but be asked to repay £4,495.40. The GuardianLC “if a carer earns even a penny more than the weekly earnings limit allowed – currently £204 – they forfeit their entire week’s carer’s allowance payment, currently £86.45.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2Under the new system the allowance will fall by £1 for every extra £1 earned above the limit, so carers are no longer worse off for working more hours or getting a pay rise. The GuardianLC “only £1 of carer’s allowance will be removed for every additional £1 earned above the earnings limit” Read at The Guardian ↗ Evening StandardN “will be replaced by a taper, so the benefit will decrease by £1 for every additional pound earned.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Left · 1The Guardian reports that building the digital system is technically demanding, so the taper will not be introduced before the end of the decade. The Evening Standard does not give a start date. The GuardianLC “the technical demands of building a new digital system to run the taper means it will not be introduced before the end of the decade.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The Guardian says the change follows its investigation, which found that about 180,000 carers ran up overpayment debts totalling £300m between 2019 and 2025, typically £2,000-£5,000 and in some cases up to £20,000. It says some carers were convicted of fraud, and that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) knew when limits were breached but did not warn carers. The GuardianLC “about 180,000 carers ran up overpayment debts amounting to £300m between 2019 and 2025.”“Although the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was aware when carers breached earnings limits, it refused to warn them” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The Guardian's reporting led to a government-commissioned independent review by Liz Sayce, published last year, which found carers suffered depression and hardship on a huge scale. The GuardianLC “The Guardian’s reporting triggered a government-commissioned independent review of carer’s allowance overpayments by disability rights expert Liz Sayce, published last year.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Left · 1Healey said the system "worked against carers" and that the Budget would end the cliff edge. Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said ministers had listened to carers' concerns. The GuardianLC “So at this budget on Wednesday, we’re ending that cliff-edge.”“We have listened to [carers’] concerns about the cliff-edge built into the system” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Carers Trust called the change "long-overdue" and urged wider reform of the benefit. Carers UK said a taper should give families more choice about working and caring. The GuardianLC “This is an important and long-overdue reform.”“A taper on the earnings limit should give families much more choice about working and still caring.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2The change is one of several "everyday fixes" announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government. The others are making the 55p-per-mile tax-free mileage rate permanent, removing import tariffs on more than 100 products including chocolate, baked beans and gherkins, and extending parental pay to more than 150,000 parents, including self-employed fathers. Evening StandardN “They also plan to make a higher tax-free mileage allowance of 55p permanent, and to slash tariffs on a range of popular foods, including chocolate, beans and gherkins” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “Ministers are also removing import tariffs on more than 100 products, including baked beans, chocolate and gherkins” Read at The Guardian ↗
Mixed · 2Both outlets report, citing the Times, that the national living wage is expected to rise by about 4%, to about £13.20 an hour. The Evening Standard, citing the Sun, adds that fuel duty will reportedly be frozen at 52p per litre. The Guardian says the Budget is expected to be low-key because of tight public finances, partly caused by the conflict in Iran, with harder decisions put off until next year's spending review. Evening StandardN “The national living wage is expected to rise from £12.71 to £13.20 at the Budget”“Mr Healey will freeze fuel duty” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “Treasury insiders have warned that the budget will be low-key” Read at The Guardian ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Guardian exclusive crediting its own investigation for ending a rule it calls one of the benefit system's most feared and unfair practices.
- Emphasis
- Harm to carers, such as large debts, fraud convictions and DWP inaction; charity reaction; the long delay before the taper starts.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Little on the wider Budget politics beyond a short mention of Labour MPs' anxiety.
- Charged language
- “ruthlessly chased down”“draconian cliff-edge rule”“scandal”
- For example
-
“Those hefty debts were then ruthlessly chased down by welfare officials who pursued carers using legislation designed to recover funds from drug dealers and organised crime bosses.” — The Guardian
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Pre-Budget government announcement, presented as part of a cost-of-living package led by the Prime Minister.
- Emphasis
- The carer change as one of many measures; Burnham's 100 days in office; Budget leaks from the Times and the Sun.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the debts, the Sayce review, the Guardian's investigation or the delay before the taper takes effect.
- Charged language
- “everyday fixes”“manifesto-breaking move”
- For example
-
“Ministers made the announcement as they set out a series of “everyday fixes” to help people with the cost-of-living crisis” — Evening Standard
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Chancellor John Healey is to end the carer's allowance cliff edge in Wednesday's Budget.
- The benefit will taper by £1 for each extra £1 earned over the limit.
- The change is part of a package of 'everyday fixes' that includes the mileage rate, tariff cuts and parental pay.
Where accounts differ
-
Who deserves credit and how much to say about the harm done
- Left
- The Guardian says its investigation led to the change and details the debts and prosecutions.
- Centre
- The Evening Standard presents it as a government cost-of-living measure and does not mention the investigation.
John Healey person
Healey says the system left carers worse off for extra shifts or pay rises, and that the Budget will end the cliff edge with a taper.
“That means doing an extra shift or getting a small pay rise can actually leave someone worse off. That cannot be right.” — The Guardian
The Guardian organisation
The Guardian presents the reform as the result of its own investigation.
“to be scrapped following Guardian investigation” — The Guardian
Left1 article
-
Sympathetic Campaign-victory exclusive that stresses carers' hardship and the Guardian's role.
Centre1 article
-
PM promises end of carers ‘cliff edge’ in cost-of-living package on Budget eve
Neutral Budget-eve roundup placing the carers change among cost-of-living measures.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 26 Oct 22:30 First The GuardianLC Carers allowed to earn over the weekly limit without losing out as ‘cliff-edge’ abolished in the budget
- 27 Oct 00:01 +1h 30m Evening StandardN PM promises end of carers ‘cliff edge’ in cost-of-living package on Budget eve
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…